The New-Zealader. AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23, 1853.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 716, 23 February 1853, Page 2

The New-Zealader.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23, 1853.

Be just and fear not: Let all the ends thou aim’st at, be thy Country’s, Thy God's, and Truth’s.

Through private courtesy we have received Honolulu papers to the 9th of December, brought by the brigantine Raven now in our harbour.

Ahe New Constitution for the Sandwich Islands had just been brought into operation. On the 3rd December the King swore to it before the Privy Council, and on the oth it was proclaimed,—first in the Rev. Mr.

Clarke’s Church, and afterwards by a Herald,

accompanied by ihe military, at the corners of the principal streets. The (Honolulu) Argus stales,

After the ceremony of proclamation was over at the Stone Church, His Majesty being present in his private capacity, arose and made an extempore address to the assembled people. it was short but impressive and to the point, and spoke volumes for the advancement of knowledge, and the liberal sentiments of Ihe Ring. He pointed out to them that whereas formerly the chiefs alone had made the laws of the land; the present constitution was the work of the people themselves, through their representatives in the Legislature,and as he had surrendered to them the law making power, he exhorted them to use it with wisdom, prudence, and moderation, for upon themselves depended henceforth the prosperity and improvement of the country.”

A great impulse had been given to the commerce of Honolulu by the unprecedentedly large number of whale ships that visited the port during the season. 1 11 the latter part of November, there were (according to the Polynesian) about one hundred and forty-live whalers in the harbour, besides ten or twelve merchant vessels, and several coasting schooners. Projects for carrying on agricultural operations, particularly the cultivation of sugar, by Joint Stock Companies, found much favour, and the establishment of a Bank was contemplated. The sugar crop promised unusually well, particularly as compared with that of 1851 when the drought destroyed quantities of cane. Gratifying intelligence had arrived respecting the “■ Mission to Micronesia,” lately undertaken by the Hawaiian Missionary Society under the patronage of the American Hoard for Foreign Missions. The schooner Caroline had returned after an absence of four months and a half, with the Rev. Messrs Clarke and Kekcla and two Natives of Pitt’s Island who had come to receive instructions by which they may hereafter be teachers of their own countrymen. At Strong’s Island, King George (of whom a very high character is given) had cordially agreed to the location of the Rev. Mr. Snow and Mrs. Snow amongst his people, promising that he “ would he a father to them.” The Rev. Messrs. Sturges and Gulick, and a Hawaiian Teacher, with their wives, had been left at Ascension, “ comfortably situated,” and “ with a wide field of usefulness open before them.” The population of Strong’s Island is estimated at 1,500 souls; that of Ascension, at 5,000. The total population of the Kingsmiii Group, (which is to he the principal scene of the present operations of the Mission) is believed to amount to 50,000.

New York journals lo llio 20lh of October had been received at Honolulu, containing English news to the 9th of that month. Thus without any particular effort, and amidst the various contingencies of the sailings and passages of vessels not connected by any plan, intelligence had reached the Sandwich Islands in fifty-one days from Liverpool. The (Honolulu) Argus of Dec. 9. gives the report respecting the appointment of the Hon. Dominick Daly lo the Governorship of New Zealand, in the following paragraph, which, from the interest attached to the subject here we copy, notwithstanding its being almost verbatim the same as that we before quoted from a Sydney paper. It shows that the statement really has come from America, although, of course, it throws no additional light on the question how far it may be entitled lo credence :

“Canada.—Telegraphic information had been received in Buffalo that Lord Elgin had been recalled, and the Post of Governor-General had been offered to Lord Harris, whose political views conform to (he Derby Ministry. The Hon. Dominick Daly has been promoted (o (he Governorship of New Zealand.”

The Overland Mail arched on Friday, but, the Wellington papers having previously been brought by the True Briton, vre have now received only the Taranaki Herald of the 2nd instant.

The contest for the Snperintcndency of New Plymouth seems likely to be maintained to the last by all three candidates. Mj. Charles Brown has issued a new Address, in which he refers to the objection urged against him on account of Ids being extensively embarked in business, —admits the validity ofthe objection—and declares that lie lias taken steps which will enable him to devote the whole of his lime to the performance of the duties of the Snperintcndency Mr. Wicksteed lias also put forth a new Address, in which, —notwithstanding bis being “opposed by the Government parly and not patronised by the Constitutional Association,” —lie declares bis belief that lie will be successful—Mr. liaise maintains his ground, without adding anything to bis original Address.

The resumption of Land Stiles is thus referred to by the Herald :—

“ We have much pleasure in calling attention to an official announcement in our advertising columns of tlie resumption of Land Sales in (his settlement. From information we have received we are enabled to slate that the Commissioner of Crown Lands is authorised to sell quite unfettered by the New Zealand Company’s Land Sales regulations, and will dispose of land by Public Auction, for the present, at the following upset prices ; —Town, 12 1. 10, or at a price to be regulated by the position of the particular allotments ; Suburban, 40s. ; and Rural, 20s. per acre. It will be seen therefore that the alterations in the hitherto uniform price of Town Sections, which-has always been nominal, will at once encourage investment and ten I to the improvement of the town in point of aspect and accommodation.”

In the New Plymouth Market, wheat was Bs. per bushel; Hour, tine, 25/. per ton, seconds, 21/.; bread, sd. the 21b, loaf; potatoes, 3/. per ton.

of Mr. Bunt’s correspondence with the Government and of the few remarks introducing it in our issue of Saturday lias been made the foundation of an ungenerous and splenetic attack on that gentleman in the Southern Cress of yesterday. It may he right—although to most readers it is scarcely necessary —to say that Mr. Burtt is in no sense responsible for the comments with which we accompanied his letter to the Government and the Colonial Secretary’s reply. They were altogether onr own, and •amounted simply to a tribute which wc felt ii right to bear .to the vigilance and zeal with which ho had exerted himself to obviate the difficulties complained of by Foreign Commanders.

The Memorial which Mr. Brown has got up and seems so feverishly anxious to promote, is, we are told, receiving signatures from various classes of our community. Wc have more than once had occasion to remark upon the facility with which names, even respectable names, can be obtained to Petitions with the general object of which, as slated by the canvassers , parties concur; and we can therefore readily understand that many have appended their signatures to a document which they were told was merely designed to obtain for masters of Foreign Vessels entering this Port that legal protection which is secured to them in other colonies. How many of the signers have taken the trouble of penetrating beyond the surface, or have even so read the document as to be able to say whether certain important points are or are not introduced into its wording , is a question on which wc shall not just now enter, although wo could throw some light upon it. We shall merely declare our belief that most of the signers had no idea of giving their sanction to anything beyond the general commercial object we have stated, and that if the Memorial should hereafter he employed in any p litieal manoeuvres, it will be without and against their understanding of its purport and intention.

Wc trust we need scarcely say that ice have entire sympathy with the object of procuring that protection for Foreign Seamen which may attract them to our Port, and induce them, having once visited it, to return as the Commander of the Lion and other Captains have done. Our commendation of Mr. Burtt’s application to the Government was founded upon our sense of the importance of the public end he had in view; and any objection we entertain to the Memoaial is not an objection to its ostensible design, which, on the contrary, we would to the best of our ability promote, —but to the manner in which it has been, at its origin and in its composilion, mixed up with other views and purposes which, even if we thought them right in themselves, we should not wish to see forwarded by “a side-wind” course of tactics.

One point more we would barely suggest. What do the Memorialists expect that the Lieutenant-Governor will do—or what do they think, in Ihe present slate of public affairs in the colony pending the operation of the New Constitution Act, he can do —to carry out their wishes? Supposing that His Excellency were to invite some ten or twelve of those whose signatures stand first, to a conference like that with the members of the Provincial Council on the Gold Regulations, and were to say “ Gentlemen, I have already declared my entire willingness to afford every protection to Foreign Seamen. What do you propose that I should do 7101 c?” What answer would those gentlemen be able to make without suggesting propositions which as they must themselves know, His Excellency could not act upon ?

It did not require any new evidence to prove a fact so apparent for some lime past., as the unsonndnessofiho wharf in conrscoferection, —and, it may be added, in contemporaneous course ofdiiapidalion and decay—at Commercial Bay. A fhrtlnir illustration of its Imperfect construction occurred, however, on Sunday morning last, when a considerable portion —some seventy or eighty feet—burst with a loud report . This is believed by many competent to form an opinion to be only the forerunner ol further disasters, and perhaps there is no single point on which the public are more unanimously agreed than that, after all the money and lime expended on Ibis project, it is emphatically “a bad job.” We have long waited in hope to sec the accomplishment of an object of such vast importance to onr shipping and commercial iiiterests ns the formation of an available—even though it should prove only a temporary —wharf. In this, however, we have been doomed to disappointment. But regrets or recriminations ns to the past arc unavailing. The practical question is, what can be effected now to save as much as possible of what has been done, and to render the structure available for its professed object? This is a question not to be answered by mere amateur engineers, but one that demands the best consideration of men of professional skill and experience; and it is to be hoped that the Government will lose no time in obtaining the best advice on the subject, and acting on that advice. Throwing good money after bad is proverbially an unwise policy, and there has been already quite enough of it in this undertaking. But we cannot believe that, with the abundance of material in onr neighbourhood, practical men would not be found able to make the Wharf even yet a public benefit, if their attention were vigorously directed to the subject.

We have learned witii sincere pleasure that II is Excellency the Governor-w-Chief has lately made Grants in aid of some of the Schools in the Northern District, which arc very liberal in themselves, were much needed, ami are likely to promote most materially the cause of Native Education, ol whicn, *as even his most bitter opponents are forced to admit, —Sir George Grey has been the steady and earnest friend. Many of our readers arc aware that the Schools of the llev. Mr. Morgan, at Otawhao, the llev. Mr. Maunsell, at Waikato Heads, and the llev. Mr. Ashwell, at Tillsupoto, were embarrassed by serious debts; the encumbrances, amounliug collectively to several Hundreds of Pounds, have, we arc told, been nearly or entirely liquidated. It is possible that other Schools may have been similarly relieved, but we only mention those respecting which information has reached us, although indirectly, yet from sources which we consider reliable. We have further learned that a sum not jess than 230 L has been granted by His Excellency for the completion of the buildings of the interesting Female School of St Stephen’s near tins City, under the superintendence of the llev. G. A and Mrs. Kissling, where such an outlay was indispensable before the institution could be deemed properly lilted for all the purposes of its establishments. These are expenditures of public money which will command the grateful approbation of the true friends of our aboriginal people both in the colony and in England; and wherever Sir George Grey’s lot may be cast in future years, or however political hostility may assail parts of his administration, he will have at least this cheering consciousness —that he has zealously employed the power and the means entrusted to him in such a way as to bring within the reach of multitudes of the Native New Zealanders, the inestimable blessings of Education based upon sound, because religious, principles.